Conveying system.



W. R. CUNNINGHAM. CONVEYING SYSTEM. Arruoulox FILED HEBT. a. 1908. nmuzwnn um. ao, 1910l 973,007. Patented 0ct.18191,o.

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THE merels PETERS co., wAsmNmnN, r14 c4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM IR.. CUNNINGHAM, 0F BUCYRUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN CLAY MACHINERY CO., OF BUCYRUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CONVEYING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed September 3, 1908, Serial No. 451,505. Renewed August 30, 1910. Serial No. 579,747.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. CUN- NINGHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bucyrus, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveying Systems, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to an improved system and means for transporting clay or like material from the place where it is mined or du to the machines which disintegrate it an prepare it for commercial uses, such as the manufacture of brick and clay products.

In the manufacture of brick, one of the serious problems to be encountered is digging or blasting the clay or shale and transporting it to the machinery building. Under the present methods of handling clay at the bank, it is customary to employ industrial cars adapted to run over tracks and trestles and to be moved from point to point by hoist or winding-drum mechanism. The objections to such a system is the expense attending the operation of the same, for it requires a man stationed in the pit to attach the cable to shift the cars into proper position; also a man to operate the windingdrum for driving the loaded cars to the building. The trestle work is usually built on an incline and is arranged so that the cars are drawn high in the buildings to enable them to deposit the contents into suitable bins, before being delivered to the grinding pans. Dumping from one to five yards of clay, the amount commonly handled, is very severe on the hoppers and the buildings, and the cars delivering from one to five yards of clay at intervals makes it more diilicult to regulate the feeding ofthe clay into the grinding-machines.

To obviate the foregoing objections and to simplify the delivery of the clay from the bank where it is dug or loosened to the grinding mechanism, I have devised a system of apron or belt conveyers whose positions are capable of being shifted relative to each other and to the clay-bank, saidconveyers delivering from one to the other and the final conveyer delivering into the bins in the machinery building.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts which I will hereinafter describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the arrangement of conveyers and grinding mechanism and the relation therewith of the clay-bank,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the driving mechanism for the rst or initial conveyer, Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the driving mechanism of Fig. 4 showing by dotted lines several different positions of the conveyer.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I show diagrammatically an appropriate building in which suitable grinding pans, 100, and 101, are located said pans being designed to receive clay or other material which is carried into the building by a suitable conveyer 102, leading from the clay-pit into said building, said 102, for transmission to the machinery building and to the grinding machines therein, said driving-head mechanism being so arranged that it will properly and positively -drive its conveyer no matter what angle the latter may assume, for instance as shown by t-he three positions 105, 106 and 107, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The driving-head mechanism is shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and it is mounted upon suitable foundation walls, 108, which support timbers, 109, on which latter is mounted a base-plate, 110.

Appropriately bolted to the base-plate, 110, is a gear-frame 111, for carrying the mechanism for driving the conveyer, 104.

, The frame has rigid with it a vertical gooseneck arm, 112, the outer end of which forms a bearing, 113, having a removable cap, 114, said gooseneck arm being also connected to a vertical goose-neck frame, 115, by means of a casting, 116, and a web, 117.

Suitably supported upon the base plate is a swivel-frame, 118, the upper end of which is provided with a journal, 119, which passes through the bearing, 113, on the outer end of the goose-neck arm, 112, said swivelframe being bolted at 120 and 121, to a suitable guide-ring, 122 the construction forming substantially a turn-table and the guide ring being held in a central position by mea-ns of lugs, 123, 124, 125 and 126, which form a part of the base-plate, 110, and which lugs hold the swivel-frame in a central position at the lower end of the frame while the bearing, 113, before described, holds said frame in a central position at the upper end.

Cast to or otherwise made rigid with the upri hts of the swivel-frame, 118, are the brac ets, 127 and 128, in whose outer ends are provided journal-bearings, 129 and 130, which support the shaft, 131, of the conveyer, 104, said shaft having secured to it a spider-pulley, 132, of appropriate construction and which is designed to drive the conveyer, 104, as shown in Fig. 4.

On the outer end of the shaft, 131, is a spur-gear, 134, and meshing with this gear is a pinion, 135, mounted on a short horizontal shaft, 136, supported in a bearing, 137, which forms a part of the swivel-frame, 118. The end of the shaft, 136, opposite to that which carries the pinion 135, has secured to it a ruiter-pinion, 138, which is in mesh with and is driven by a similar pinion, 139, keyed or otherwise fixed to the vertical shaft, 140, which latter passes through the journal bearing, 141, that is constructed as a part of the swivel-frame, 118.

The upper end of the vertical shaft, 140, carries a bevel-gear, 142, which is in mesh with and is driven by a pinion, 143, said pinion being mounted on a horizontal shaft, 144, which is supported in journal-bearings, 145 and 146, constructed as a part of the goose-neck frame, 115, said bearings being provided with caps, 147 and 148. The outer end of the shaft, 144, also carries a sheave, 149, for the rope-drive which I will hereinafter mention, but if desired a plain belt pulley might be used in the place of this sheave; I prefer however to use the ropedrive and therefore I have provided the sheave, 149, in place of a plain pulley.

By reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the base-plate, 110, is constructed with a circular opening, 150, and that the base of the swivel frame, 118, is provided with a corresponding opening which openings are designed to register and are provided to admit the clay as it drops from the end of the conveyer-belt, 104, onto the cross-conveyer, 102.

The turn-table formation or swivel-frame connection before described permits the driving-mechanism for the head-end of the conveyer, 104, to drive this connection in whatever position it might be placed; also that the conveyer can swing in almost a complete circle as illustrated by the two dotted positions, or from one dotted line, 152, to the other, 152', (Fig. 6) and in whatever position the belt may be moved, the delivery edge, 153, thereof will be so disposed that it will deliver the clay to about the central part of the conveyer, 102, and without disturbing the alinement of the driving shaft, 134.

The operation of the foregoing' mechanism is substantially as follows: rIhe sheave,

' 149, on the end of the shaft, 144, is driven the belt 104, and when the clay removed from thebank has been deposited upon this belt, the belt delivers the clay through the openings 150 and 151, in the base of the swivel frame and base plate and onto the conveyer, 102.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a clay-handling system, the combination of a plurality of belt-conveyers ex.- tending from the clay-bank to the place of final deposit, said conveyers having their adjacent ends arranged in substantially overlapping planes; and a turn-table support at the head of one of said conveyers and about which the last-named conveyer may be turned to stand at different angles relative to the companion conveyerand to the claybank, said support including a vertically disposed frame having a horizontal ring ange at the base, and power transmitting gears mounted in said frame.

2. In a clay-handling system, the combination of a plurality of belt-conveyers eX- tending from the clay-bank to the place of final deposit, said conveyers having their adjacent ends arranged in substantially overlapping planes; and a turn-table support at the head of one of said conveyers and about which the last-named conveyer may be turned to stand at different angles relative to the companion conveyer and to the clay-bank, said turn-table support comprising a vertical frame with a horizontal ring at its base having a vertical opening through which the material delivered from one conveyer is discharged onto the other conveyer, horizontal and vertical shafts, and

intcrmeshing power transmitting gears mounted in said frame and turnable therewith about said base ring.

3. In asystem of the character described, the combination with a conveyer, of a second conveyer connecting therewith, and a driving-head mechanism for said second conveyer, said mechanism including a vertical supporting frame turnable about a vertical aXis, a drum in said frame over which the conveyer thereof passes, driving-connections carried by the frame and movable therewith, and a base-plate upon which the frame is turnably-mounted, said base-plate having an opening forming a communication between the adjacent ends of the two conveyers.

4. The combination with a conveyer, of a driving-head mechanism therefor, said mechanism comprising a vertically-extending frame, a drum mounted in said frame over which the conveyer passes, means including a horizontal open center ring at the base of the frame forming a turn-table about which the frame is turnable whereby the conveyer may be moved to different angles, a drivingshaft mounted in the upper portion of the frame, means for communicating motion to said shaft, and driving-connections between said shaft and the drum around which the conveyer passes.

5. The combination with a conveyer, of a driving-head mechanism therefor, said mechanism comprising a vertically-extending frame, a drum mounted-in said frame over which the conveyer passes, means incl u ding a horizontal open center ring at the. base of the frame forming a turn-table about which the frame is turnable whereby the conveyer may be moved to differentangles, a driving-shaft mounted in the upper portion of the frame, means for communicat-ing motion to said shaft, driving-connections between said shaft and the drum around which the conveyer passes, said connections comprising a vertical shaft, gearing between the same and the driving-shaft, a horizontal shaft, gearing between the horizontal and vertical shafts, and gearing between the horizontal shaft and the drum around which the conveyer passes.

6. In a conveying system of the character described, a belt-conveyer and a drivinghead mechanism therefor, -said mechanism including an open center base-plate, a vertical frame turnably mounted thereon, a drum carried by the frame over which the belt passes, driving-connections mounted in the frame and turnable therewith, a support fixed relativeto the frame and fo-rming a journal bearing for the upper portion thereof, a driving-shaft mounted in the support, and interengaging connections between the driving-shaft and the driving-connections carried by the frame.

7. In a conveying system of the character described, the combination of a belt-conveyer and a driving-head connection therefor, said connection comprising a vertically disposed swivel-frame, a turn-table connection at the lower end thereof and a journal at the upper end, a drum mounted in said frame, a fixed frame having a bearing for the journal-end of the swivel-frame, a horizontal driving-shaft mounted in the fixed frame, a vertical shaft passing through the journal end of the swivel-frame, gearing between the horizontal and vertical shafts, and gearing' mounted in the swivel-frame between the vertical shaftand the drum of the conveyer, for operating the latter.

8. In a conveying system of the character described, the combination of a belt-conveyer, of a. driving-head mechanism therefor, said mechanism comprising a ba se-plate, a vertical gear-carrying frame mounted to swivel thereon and having a journal at its upper end, a fixed vertical frame having a goose-neck arm provided with a bearing for said journal, a drum-shaft horizontally mounted in the upper portion of the gooseneck frame, a vertical shaft mounted in the journal-end of the swivel-frame, drivingconnections between the horizontal and vertical shafts, and driving connections between the vertical shaft and the conveyer. l

9. A conveying system of the character described, comprising a plurality of beltconveyers between the clay bank and the place of final deposit, and a combined drivinghead and a swivel supporting connection between the adjacent ends of companion belts, said connection including a gear-carrying frame vertically disposed in line above the receiving portion of one of the conveyers and having a drum over which the other conveyer passes, an elevated base-plate upon which said frame is supported said baseplate and the bottom o-f the frame being fashioned to form a turn-table and beingI open to provide a connecting passage between the delivery end of one belt and the receiving end of the other belt, a stationary frame in which the upper end of the vertical y frame is mounted, a driving-shaft mounted in the stationary frame, and power transmitting mechanism between the driving shaft and said drum.

10. In a conveying system of the character described, the combination of a pair of belt-conveyers adapted to deliver from one to the other, and a driving-head mechanism for one of said belts, said mechanism inolucling a fixed frame and base-plate, a vertical frame, having a drum over which lastnaniecl belt passes, said freine being mounted at opposite ends upon a vertical axis about which it may be turned in a horizontal plane, to Vary the angle of its eonveyer relative to the 'clay-bank and the companion belt, said frame and base-plate being open in line substantially above the companion belt, to ad- 10 init the clay thereto from the first-named l belt, and complementary driving connections carried by said frames for operating said rst named belt.

In testimony whereof I eflix iny signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM R. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. DE LASHMUTT, S. E. AUCK. 

